Barry Newman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Barry Newman
Newman in 1974
Born	Barry Foster Newman (1930-11-07)November 7, 1930 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	May 11, 2023(2023-05-11) (aged 92) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1960–2022
Spouse(s)	Angela Spilker ​ ​ (m. 1994; div. 2007)​ ​ ​ (m. 2018)​

Barry Foster Newman (born November 7, 1930 – died May 11, 2023) was an American actor. He was famous for acting in plays (on stage), movies (on screen), and TV shows. He is best known for playing Kowalski in the movie Vanishing Point and for his main role in the 1970s TV series Petrocelli. He was even nominated for important awards like the Golden Globe and Emmy awards.

Barry Newman's Early Life and Education

Barry Newman was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 7, 1930. His mother, Sarah, was from Belarus, and his father, Carl, was from Austria. Barry went to the well-known Boston Latin School and finished in 1948. He was friends with actor Leonard Nimoy when they were kids.

College and a Change of Plans

After high school, Newman went to Brandeis University. He earned a degree in anthropology (the study of human societies and cultures) in 1952. After college, he joined the Army. Since he knew how to play the saxophone and clarinet, he was assigned to the 3rd Army Band in Atlanta.

After leaving the Army, Newman moved to New York City. He started studying for his master's degree in anthropology at Columbia University. However, a friend invited him to an acting class taught by Lee Strasberg. Barry loved acting so much that he left Columbia after only five weeks to become an actor.

Barry Newman's Acting Career

Barry Newman's first acting job was in a comedy play called Nature's Way. He played a jazz musician. A New York critic named Richard Watts, Jr. praised his performance. After this, he had a role in another play called Maybe Tuesday.

Newman also starred in the New York version of Agatha Christie's famous play The Mousetrap. He acted in many plays on Broadway, including the musical What Makes Sammy Run.

Moving to TV and Movies

While still working on Broadway, Newman also started acting in TV shows. For two years, he played a lawyer named John Barnes in the daytime TV drama The Edge of Night.

His first movie was a gangster film called Pretty Boy Floyd in 1960. He became more well-known with his first main movie role in The Lawyer in 1970.

Famous Roles: Kowalski and Petrocelli

Newman is probably most famous for his main role as Kowalski in the 1971 movie Vanishing Point. In this movie, he plays a car delivery driver who takes a white Dodge Challenger on a long journey across the western United States.

After Vanishing Point, he starred in movies like The Salzburg Connection and Fear Is the Key. In 1974, a TV series called Petrocelli started. This show was based on the lawyer character Newman first played in The Lawyer. The series ran for two seasons.

Later Work in Film and Television

After Petrocelli, Newman acted in the movie City on Fire with famous actors Henry Fonda and Ava Gardner. He also appeared in Disney's movie Amy.

He starred or co-starred in more than 20 TV movies. One of these, King Crab, won an award. He also appeared in several miniseries, including Fatal Vision. One magazine, Variety, even called him "The Spencer Tracy of the 80s," comparing him to a very respected actor.

In 1989, Newman starred with Suzanne Pleshette in the TV series Nightingales. In the early 1990s, he was in the BBC's show The Mirror Cracked. During the 1990s, Newman also acted in movies like Daylight, Bowfinger, and The Limey.

Awards and Recognition

Barry Newman's success in the TV movie Night Games (which was based on The Lawyer) led to the TV series Petrocelli. In this show, Newman played a lawyer who lived and worked in a made-up town in Arizona. He was nominated for an Emmy award in 1975 for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series. In 1976, he was nominated for a Golden Globe award for the same role.

Barry Newman's Personal Life

Barry Newman was married to Angela G. Newman (whose maiden name was Spilker). They were married from 1994 to 2007, and then again from 2018 until his death. He lived in Midtown Manhattan in New York City.

Newman passed away at Columbia University Irving Medical Center on May 11, 2023. He was 92 years old. His wife, Angela, was his only family member who survived him.

Awards and Nominations

• 1975, Petrocelli, Emmy for Best Actor, nominated
• 1976, Petrocelli, Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Series, nominated

Selected Filmography

Selected Television Work

• The Edge of Night (1964–1965) ... John Barnes
• Way Out (1961) ... Officer Police (1 episode, "Hush-Hush")
• Armstrong Circle Theatre (1963) ... (1 episode, 1963)
• Naked City (1963) "Beyond This Place There Be Dragons" ... Cabbie
• Get Smart (1965) ... Assistant Guru (1 episode, 1968)
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ... Himself (3 episodes, 1973–1975)
• Petrocelli (1974) ... Anthony J. Petrocelli (45 episodes, 1974–1976)
• Dinah! (1975) ... (Cast Member 1975–1977)
• Quincy M.E. (1976) ... Dr. Gabe McCracken (1 episode, 1983)
• The Fall Guy (1981) Himself (1 episode: "The Detectives", season #4, episode #6, 1984)
• Fatal Vision (miniseries) (1984) ... Bernie Segal
• Nightingales (1989) ... Dr. Garrett Braden (13 episodes, 1989)
• Murder She Wrote (1988) Season 5 ep. "Snow White, Blood Red" ... Ed McMasters
• Murder She Wrote (1989) Season 6 ep. "Class Act" ... Lt. Amos 'Jake' Ballinger
• Murder She Wrote (1995) Season 11 ep. "Game, Set, Murder" ... Andrew Bascombe
• The New Hollywood Squares (1989) .... Special Guest (1 episode, 1989)
• Miss Marple: The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (1992) ... Jason Rudd
• L.A. Law (1994) ... Frank Askoff (2 episodes, 1994)
• NYPD Blue ... Jimmy Wexler (2 episodes, 1994–1998)
• The O.C. (2005) ... Professor Max Bloom (3 episodes, 2005)
• The Cleaner (2009) ... Marcus O'Hara (1 episode "Hello America")
• Ghost Whisperer (2009)... Ray James (1 episode "Till Death Do Us Start")

See also

In Spanish: Barry Newman para niños